


Moonsong

by theprincesspea



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Drama, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Inspired by A Song of Ice and Fire, Politics, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, a ton of politics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:27:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24725995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprincesspea/pseuds/theprincesspea
Summary: Your already turbulent royal life is upturned when you are sent to represent your family's name with the First Order, and try to navigate diplomacy alongside the mighty Kylo Ren.
Relationships: Ben Solo | Kylo Ren/Reader, Kylo Ren/Reader, Kylo Ren/You
Kudos: 17





	1. The Lady Aelia

You stood nude in front of a mirror. You watch as goosebumps prickle your skin as a cool draft brushed your skin. The mirror was large enough that your reflection looked like the front of a doll box, showing the entirety of you. You cock your head at the sight; it was an undeniable truth that you had inherited your parents beauty as well as their name and status. The blood you carried had given you so much to be thankful for, without it you could’ve been impoverished and felt smaller than the average being in a universe as large as this one. Yet here you stood, gawking at a reflection you didn’t completely own. It wasn’t that you weren’t grateful for the wealth, notoriety and appearance, but the pain that came with it was not worth the reward. You watch as your hair softly fell in your face, fresh from bathing with the finest products one could ask for. Tonight was an important night only deserving the best of the best grooming. Not that you were complaining, it wasn’t so awful to have an excuse to bathe in such luxury. 

You watch your hand in the mirror as if it weren’t your own as it smoothed over your curves. You felt like a hairless cat now that every inch of body hair had been removed, not that you should miss body hair but it felt forigen to feel this smooth. You grinned at the thought. You twisted your body slightly to get a better look at the hairdo your maid did. It was elegant and pristine while still remaining youthful and girly. Small braids and strands of hair were tucked back into a cascade. Elessia your maid was one for the finer details as you admired the small gems and pearls tucked into it. She was truly a talent for making things beautiful. She had also given you a stunning natural dewy glow for makeup. 

_ Damn I’d be pretty fucking ugly tonight without her.  _

At that thought your door opened and Elessia came in holding a dress bag. She unzipped it and pulled out a black gown made especially for you. She grinned and glanced at you. 

“They really outdid themselves this time didn’t they? I mean look at these stitches and the pattern- oh my the pattern it's so detailed.” She smoothed the dress down and fully took it out of the bag. She looked back at you giving you a lookover. You still nude didn’t cower as she had seen you in your worst moments a little nudity wasn’t that private anymore. “Go put the undergarments I laid out on the bed for you so we can get this on you.” 

You waltzed over to the bed and eyed the garments. 

_ There goes my comfort for the evening.  _

You tried to slip them on gracefully but the straps were giving the workout from earlier a run for their money. Once you got them on you pawed at the straps trying to alleviate the pain. There wasn’t any use so you gave up and situated yourself in the mirror again, this time in front of Elessia. 

“As much as I love gowns I could do away with having to wear such small materials. I mean who said seeing a little underwear line was so bad it's not like we don't wear it- well I don't know about that new girl my uncle had at dinner last night she definitely doesn’t wear underwear.” Elessia hummed in amusement as she wordlessly fitted the gown through your feet and slowly slid it up your body looping it through your arms and clasping the back. The gown was stunning, from afar it appeared simple and elegant but upon closer inspection the pattern and stitching gave it a personal touch. Elessia grinned at you in the mirror. 

“My lady it looks even better on you then it did before” 

You turned to correct her as you preferred your real name; you and Elessia were close enough that the formalities of court were not needed. But she already had her back turned and was busy at your dresser. She turned holding a necklace walking over to you. You pushed your hair to the side as she placed it around your neck. You looked up after she had clasped the back. You took a sharp inhale at her selection. She had chosen your mother's old necklace from when she was young. It was beautifully designed with a small silver chain and a brilliant iridescent gem. You pivoted and stared at Elessia. 

“Is this-?” 

“It was your mother when she was young, your father gave it to her while they still lived on Chandrila.” She reached out and brushed her finger over it lightly before staring at you. “There's no reason why you shouldn’t wear your mother's colors no matter what the Queen says.” 

You broke eye contact and stared out of your window. A bird flew by as the sun set behind the sea horizon. Your quarters were high enough that you couldn’t see the sparkling city beneath your window as you gazed at the green flourished cliffs that encircled the bay. The palace height gave you a stunning vantage point of the surrounding area. Yes this had been your home for the majority of your life, it was your father's home and birthplace; yet you felt a certain connection to Chandrila that you hadn’t with Helinion. You left Chandrila after your mother died to live with your fathers family when you were eight to proceed and become a true Lady of the Aelia house, but you never felt at place here, You looked back to Elessia. She had been with you on Chandrila and was the only living person here who knew of your time there. You took a deep breathe in to regain control over the lump threatening to rise in your throat. 

“Tonight is important and thus be treated so” she continued as she went back to the dresser to retrieve pearl earrings. “The First Order is coming to negotiate an alliance between the Helinion system and the Aelia family, I thought it best to show your true colors.” She put the earrings in and petted your hair a little bit and smiled. You smirked as you turned back to the mirror to observe the addition to your look. 

“She’ll go ballistic but I suppose she can’t exactly tell me off in front of First Order personnel for a little necklace. It's hardly noticiable. Besides-” you turned back around and walked to the window to look out onto the sunset. “She needs me tonight, I’m the most capable member of this family to handle tonight's guests without behaving like we are in the Outer Rim.” 

“She will be good to remember that the next time she accuses of being a threat and disloyal.” 

“Pfft if she thinks there is a threat on this family she's forgotten no one gives a shit enough to trouble themselves with the take down of a large affluent system too far from the Core Worlds to mean much, we’re simply too distant.” You turned back to Elessia smirking. “No one in Naboo and Coruscant believed this place was real when I told them. They couldn’t believe sophistication existed out here. Besides, if you're that worried about the Queen why did you choose this necklace?” 

“Honestly...it looked pretty good with the gown and I heard she's angry at your uncle for last night's performance so she might let it past.” 

You giggled. “Hm, I hope and your right, it does look pretty good” 

You both snapped your heads at the door as you heard a knock. You had decided to keep a traditional door for your bedroom opposed to a blaster door, you hated the sound of it opening and closing. Elessia rushed over and opened the door a crack before widening it and letting a droid enter. It spoke to Elessia but you drowned it out and played with your necklace as you looked at the sun disappear behind the sea. 

“My lady it's from the Queen she said the First Order has arrived early” 

You sighed, smoothing your dress and reaching for the heels on your bed. You promptly sat down and began to buckle them. You felt nervous knowing that you would encounter the First Order in just a few moments. Months of preparation and communicating had led you to this day. You stood up swiftly and gracefully. Heels were easy for you thank god. 

“Thank you Elessia for the help this evening, your added touches are as lovely as ever” You smiled at her. She bowed her head at you before going into the bathroom to clean up after you. You walked by getting one last glance at your appearance in the mirror before following the droid into the hallway. 

*****

The sound of your heels clacking against the white marble floor echoed around the hallway. It was tall with high ceilings, to your left were a bunch of floor length arched windows that looked out to the city and the sea. Now that the sun was down the lights twinkled from the city with a warm homely glow. You imagined that on an evening like this people would be getting out into the nightlife, not you though you had to go be a puppet for the First Order. To your right was paintings of past monarchs. Your grandfather was at the middle of the hall due to his relative importance, in fact his paintings and statues played centerpiece in a lot of the palace. After he died your father and uncle paid special importance to him when it came to remembrance. 

As you reached the end of the hall you spotted your cousin, he was dressed in a dark green tunic with gold stitching and dark brown pants. He had tall black boots on with a golden sash slung over his shoulder. He grinned at you as you approached, eyeing the gem on your neck. 

“Interesting choice of jewelry, I don't know if my mother will like it though” He placed his arm out for you to take as you stood in front of him. You had to look up to make eye contact with him. He was tall like his warrior father, you wondered how you ended up so short compared to someone so closely related. You took his arm and began down another hallway.

“I figured she wouldn’t worry about me tonight besides it looks nice and it's not that noticeable.”

“I suppose you're right but she’ll notice your dis-inclusion of any family color.”

“You're right I should’ve grabbed something green but it doesn’t compliment my look very well, and I’m not ruining this with tacky green so that she can sit still.” The two of you rounded a corner to get into an elevator. It was a windowed elevator that showed the city. It was always fun to ride in it because you felt like you were falling. You both stood facing forward as the blast doors closed. You flinched. 

“You seem jumpy, are you nervous?”

“No I’m not nervous I just really hate that sound.” 

“Well more than usual, why are you nervous?” 

“Well if I was I feel like having the First Order come to a ball is reason enough. But good thing I’m not nervous.” 

“I would expect you to be nervous of all people considering your...uhh lineage.” You snapped your head at him ready to berate him but he continued to speak before you could. “Besides I’m nervous, I heard the General and I share a special taste.” 

“The General is a smart man. I'm sure he has many special tastes.” you said lazily as you played with your necklace staring out of the window. 

“Mmm this one in particular my informants made special care to tell me of this one.” 

You once again snapped up at him. “Krosio, you aren’t serious-?” 

“I am serious.” He shifted so that he was taller and tilted his chin up. 

“You're awfully confident that you won’t mess this whole night up.” 

“How am I gonna mess this up? And don’t say what I think you’ll say...I won’t cross the line.” he huffed. You opened your mouth to speak but decided against it. No use arguing with Krosio once he had his eyes set on something he didn’t deter from it. It was admirable but he often had a knack for being reckless in pursuit. 

“If it means anything I hope you're right and you succeed tonight.” You grinned up at him. He smirked as the elevator doors opened again, this time to a tight hallway. Once again you took his arm and walked down it. You could hear light music and people chattering. You both halted at the end as it opened more hallways with white marble floors and statues that lined the wall. You spotted a tall arched window and saw the moons reflect off the sea. The window was partially covered by a thicket of greenery and bright pink glowing flowers with a golden sparkly inner core. You both walked around a series of corners to where the noise was loudest. 

It was a large circular room with arched windows lined on the sides. A large fountain was in the center sculpted with white stone, the water was clear to see glowing orbs flowing with it. Above the fountain was a mock system of planets based off of Helinion. They rotated lazily in a circular orbit. Behind it was a raised stage was a high table all set for dinner, and tall windows behind it. The whole room was open with arched walkways covered by thin white curtains leading to a patio to overlook the city and water. Below the table were smaller ones and an open floor in the middle presumably for dancing. Off to the corner was a group of Blith aliens playing Jizz. The ceiling was a dome with stained glass that showed the stars and moons above. The whole dome was perched on a cliff with waterfalls that fell thousands of feet to the sea. One side overlooked the water while the other was a garden with the most exotic tropical plants one could find. The weather was very warm on Helinion allowing for beautiful flora and fauna. However rain rarely fell unless you were coast side, leaving the areas outside of the cities to be arid and dry. The room had a warm glow as lanterns floated around above the mock planet system. 

You and Krosio both looked at each other. Balls were common but the extravagance was always affordable, clearly tonight was more special then you thought for neither of you had ever seen the room so splendid. You gaped as you watched servants serve bubbling liquids to guests and other members of the Helinion high society. You felt Krosios breath on your shoulder as he leaned down to your ear. 

“I’ll be damned the next time I hear you say we’re irrelevant.” You hummed in amusement as you continued to gaze at the scene. You spotted your uncle wearing an even more extravagant outfit then Krosio drinking and laughing with other men from affluent families. Not far from him was the Queen herself, wearing a slim gold gown adorned with dark green jewels. She had dark skin and black hair that was put into an updo, with gold leaves circling her arms. She was indeed most likely the most beautiful woman in the Outer Rim, her family had been one of wealth displaced from the destruction of Alderaan. Despite this they became Empire loyalists in an effort to regain status and power but once again displaced after the war had ended. You supposed this was why she married someone of such low status and was so eager to engage with the First Order. You looked to Krosio. He had definitely inherited her beauty but not her cleverness you thought as he fiddled with his gold cape. 

The queen spotted the two of you awkwardly standing atop the staircase that led into the room. She dismissed the guards and strode over to you and carefully climbed the steps. You watched her as she placed herself in front of you and Krosio eyeing the stone around your neck. The both of you bowed and muttered ‘your highness’ before returning to her harsh gaze. 

She reached out and immediately began fiddling with Kroisos tunic and cape. “Definitely handsome indeed, it's a shame any of these ladies here tonight aren’t deserving of your hand.” Krosio beamed at her. She merely glanced at you before motioning for the two of you to follow her into the ball area. You watched her gold gown trail behind her as she led you to the high table. You fantasized about stepping on it and the scene that would unfold. 

“Krosio you will sit here,” she motioned to a seat on the right of the large chair at the top of the table, “and you my lady can sit here.”. She pointed to a chair that was farther than Krosios had been from the large chair. Of course the bitch had put you as far as she could from the king and where the special guests would presumably be sitting. You merely grinned at her, she did not return it. You were a puppet indeed, or a hostage you couldn’t decide which dramatic title you liked better. Sure your life on Helinion was better than most but it didn’t afford much freedom. You were under the constant thumb of control from your aunt. You assumed that she kept you around only for appearance but if you weren’t needed there would be nothing stopping her from throwing you on the street. Your bloodline kept you safe but miserable. “They will be arriving very soon. I expect propriety and from you two.” She turned to walk away but leaned over her shoulder. “Krosio do not attempt any nonsense or I will send you straight to The Academy is that understood?” 

“Yes Mother.” 

She eyed you curiously. “And my lady, remember how lucky you are that I allow you to live at court the next time you choose to dress inappropriately.” With that she glided down the stairs and back into the herd of people. You watched her as she picked up some wine and talked with a man. You looked back up at Krosio before following her down the steps. 

You quickly also grabbed a glass of wine and retreated to the sides casually watching the people mill around. You watched the king belch loudly followed by looks of disgust from the people around him. 

_ What an idiot.  _

Krosio joined you at your side sipping at his own glass. 

“Where are these guys? I'm bored of this already.” He took a lengthy sip, as did you. You were lucky to have a friend like Krosio considering the Queen blacklisted you from other people at court. Only her son could get away with being so close to you. 

“I have a bad feeling we’ll need lots and lots of wine tonight.” You took another long sip from your glass, draining it before swapping for a full one from a waiters tray. “And your right where the fuck are these guys I wanna be sober enough to greet them before I’m drunk.” You took another long sip. 

Krosio also took a sip. “Be careful you might pass out before dinner at your rate.” You both watched the king stumble towards a young waitress grabbing her waist causing her tray of drinks to fall to the ground. Immediately guards rushed over grabbing the women and taking her away. Some maids rushed over and began to clean the mess as the queen motioned for her advisor to take the king away. “Forget it I want him to pass out.” He finished his glass in one sip before setting it down at a table. 

“That woman has no idea the best thing for her now is to hope that they fire her before your mother kills her.” Krosio snorted and grabbed another glass as the Queen tried to gloss over the incident with a smile and beginning a long story to tell to the frightened guests. “It's a shame your mother is having her beauty and natural talent for politics wasted being the queen wife to an Outer Rim drunk.” 

Krosio looked over at you curiously. “How can you say that when she treats you so poorly? I mean she pretends you either don’t exist or that you are here to kill her family, despite being family.”. 

“I didn’t say she was a good person, just that she is indeed a gem from the Core Worlds. I suppose...that means I respect her in a way.” You sipped from your glass as you watched the Queen smooth over the slight disruption with an unachievable grace. 

“You know some can say that about you. You learned at the finest academies Coruscant could offer and lived at the courts of Naboo. Yet here you are on the Outer Rim.” He looked down at you. 

You stared back up. “Yet here I am on the Outer Rim...being nothing more than a puppet hostage.” You finally settled on just combining the two names instead of picking one. You spotted a guard whisper something to the Queen before she motioned you and Krosio over. You finished your wine glass quickly and walked over with Krosio. You joined the queen as well her advisor and the King who seemed a bit more adjusted. Her assistant was a tall Pau’an who was from the Core Worlds. As awful as the Queen was to you her assistant showed a little bit more kindness. It was at his suggestion that you go to Coruscant, so that you could be of use as a trained diplomat and away from her wrath. He had even gotten you a place at the Naboo courts as handmaid to the queen. 

He leaned into all of you as he spoke. “The First Order has arrived. General Hux and some of his personnel, as well as Snokes apprentice Kylo Ren and his knights are waiting for our welcome outside.” He looked over all of you before leading the four of you up the stairs to the welcome hallway. You took your place as caboose behind Krosio. Being the niece of the king at least allowed you to be unimportant enough that your introduction was hardly ever really needed. But tonight's guests were the rare exception. It took a concerted effort to not appear tipsy as you traversed the marble hallway to the doors. You swayed a little bit as you rounded the corner to the terrace where they waited. 

_ Fuck maybe a little to much.  _

You regained balance as you got in line beside Krusio. You heard some loud shuffling from down by the King as you presumed the Queen was trying to get him to stand right. 

_ Makes two of us I suppose.  _

You looked up at your guests. 

_ Shit.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading the first chapter :) This is my first fic so I would appreciate any helpful tips you have so I can make my writing better. And I know this first chapter is just backstory (boring) but I promise its completely necessary for later developments.


	2. Seen You

Your eyes traveled up to meet six large black clad warriors. Each one had a different mask made of metal, and tattered black robes. They each held a large metal weapon with what you presumed to be blood stains. They were large as they loomed over everyone else except someone in the front, another tall warrior clad in all black with a helmet. Except he wasn’t holding a large metal weapon and his robes weren’t as worn as the others. You presumed the masked creature before you was Kylo Ren as he shifted his stance, only to appear more menacing. You gulped. They were frightening. They stood fanned out around four figures. One was their leader, Kylo Ren as you figured they must’ve been the Knights of Ren. Next to him was a man who was nearly his height but was slimmer. His clothing was a black First Order officer uniform but was more refined and pristine. His hair was ginger with pale skin and piercing green eyes that looked snake like. 

Next time were two more officers but less well dressed in regular uniforms. One was a older man with grey hair and a beard, the next one was a middle aged woman with dark hair and eyes and pale skin. They both stood tall with their hands clasped behind their backs as General Hux stepped forward. 

His tone was flat and disinterested as he spoke. “The First Order thanks you for your correspondence, the addition of the Helinion system will be of great service in the coming weeks.” He glanced at Kylo on his right. He was unable to hide the disgust in his face as he spoke. “The Supreme Leader Snoke has wished his apprentice to learn...manners. You can expect his presence as we continue negotiations.” Kylo acknowledged this by clenching his fists slightly. “General Jastrak and General Monpatus are my most trusted advisors and will be of great service.” He looked up and surveyed the line of his hosts closely, poorly hiding his disgust. 

The queen quickly spoke, trying to erase the growing threat of an awkward silence. “We are pleased to host such an esteemed organization and are thrilled at the negotiations to come. The House of Aelia is very thankful for the First Orders correspondence”. 

“Good. We shall expect a quick and easy cooperation and settlement.” For the first time he seemed pleased. The Queen's advisor stepped forward, he was wearing a dark green robe and had a cane. He stared down at the First Order party.

“My name is Ou’kai. I am the Master of Operations and Affairs of the Helinion System and advisor to Queen Ishatara. It's my pleasure to introduce to you King Marcellus of House Aelia, ruler of Helinion and her moons and planets.” He motioned over to your uncle, you were shocked he was behaving so well considering his behavior throughout the night. Hux and his party barely blinked, it was customary for guests of the Aelias to bow but they just stared. Ou’kai seemed to be unbothered as he continued on with the introductions. “And his wife Queen Ishtara mother to their son Krosio.” Hux eyed Krosio looking him up and down. You felt Krosio shift uncomfortably next you. “This is the King's brother's daughter, the Lady Aelia.”. You glanced up to see every officer stare at you. Your hair pricked up at the sight of the masked creatures and their leader looked at you. But they all soon flicked their attention back to Ou’kai as he spoke, but Kylo Ren's gaze lingered on you. You wondered if it was even on you as the mask hid his face, if he had one. 

“Now that we are through with the pleasantries let us continue inside.” He began to lead the lot of you through the hallways down to the ballroom. You began to follow fully aware of your every movement. You didn’t think you’d be this nervous in the company of the First Order. You had lived at the prestigious court of Naboo and been to many parties far more important than you were on Coruscant, but you felt more nervous now. It didn’t help as you heard the Knights trail behind in the back, their loud footsteps echoing loudly. You looked to see if Krosio was as uncomfortable as you were, but he seemed as relaxed as ever while he lazily followed Ou’kai. You couldn’t help but wonder how much wine you were gonna need now that your nerves didn’t seem to stop. 

You reached the small flight of stairs that led down into the ballroom. As you arrived the court began to clap before you began the journey to your assigned dinner place. Your tipsiness seemed to have disappeared now that Hux and crew were here. You glanced up at the table to spot the closest pitcher of wine to your seat. You began to play with your necklace nervously while you and Krosio waded through the crowd to get to the long table. He leaned down into your ear. 

“I thought you weren’t nervous?” 

“Just anxious to start dinner, that's all.” You glanced up at him to see him smirking before he held out his arm for you to climb the stairs. You unclasped the fist you didn’t realize you were holding and took it. When you reached the top you reluctantly dropped his arm and looked at him nervously before he went to take his seat. You very much wished he could sit closer now than you sat in your lonely seat. You wondered who would sit in the seats between you and the king and the ones beside you. 

_ Fuck me.  _

You saw a cloud of black in your peripherals as Kylo Ren sat beside you. If he didn’t appear large standing he definitely was now, as he was much too big to sit nicely. You felt him shift to try and get comfortable. Next to the King across from Krosio the Queen sat, Hux was seated next to Krosio across from Kylo. Across from you sat Ou’kai. The remaining seats on either side were taken by the two Generals. You noticed the Knights space themselves around the room leaning against the walls. 

The Jizz music band began to play something more slow as the court took their seats at the tables below. Immediately the staff around you began to place full plates in front of you replacing the empty ones from before. You looked to your right at Kylos now full plate wondering how he was gonna eat it with a mask on. You saw Hux look down at his plate with annoyance before reaching for his cup to take a sip. Noticing your own cup you picked up and drank a long sip of wine, feeling much better. The leader singer then leaned into the microphone asking for silence. You saw the Queen whisper to the King and he stood up with his glass. 

“It is the House of Aelias honor to host such esteemed guests.” He choked. He was very drunk. “We are thrilled to now be able to say we can call an organization like the First Order an ally to the Helinion system. I propose a toast to General Hux and Kylo…” he glanced over at the table seemingly trying to remember his name, “Ben.” You felt Kylo tense up next to you as the King took a long gulp to the court clapping. Hux didn’t touch his drink and just stared at the King in disgust. You however readily took the opportunity to drink, and like your uncle a long one. 

Kylo abruptly stood up and walked away through an arch to the patio. General Hux followed him with his eyes. 

“I apologize, the Supreme Leader's apprentice has always had a...talent for drama. As I said earlier his role in these negotiations is to learn diplomacy and manners. You can tell it would serve him well.” Hux glared at the space Kylo created when he left before sipping from his cup. “Although I am shocked at such sophistication all the way out here.” 

You saw the Queen sit up. “Our sophistication here on Helinion is one of class and excellence, we are a strange light of civilization here on the Outer Rim. I can assure you what we lack in status we make up in resources and size.” She sat back pleased with her statement. At that you sat back, and proceeded to ignore the dinner conversation. There was no need for your input as the Hux and his Generals discussed with The Queen and Ou’kai. Krosio continued to listen sometimes shooting you glances of a reaction but you were completely zoned out. Despite your diplomatic training you knew that it was not in your place, you just needed to behave. The King occasionally interjected but couldn’t keep up with the conversation, thus he rarely spoke. 

As the plates began to empty servants came around and replaced them with dessert. You hardly touched your dinner only nibbling on it every so often. But you had finished two more glasses of wine, much to no one's notice. You were in the middle of admiring the floating planets when you heard your name in the conversation. You looked at the table full of eyes staring at you. 

“Pardon?” you said surprised your voice still worked. 

The Queen flashed you a fake warm smile. “We were just discussing your time spent training in the Core Worlds, and how qualified you are as a diplomat.” 

A beat. 

_ Am I supposed to respond or? _

You smiled and glanced around the table. “Uhh yeah I attended school on Coruscant and was a handmaiden to the Naboo...Queen.”. Gods you were drunk. You spotted Krosio smirking at you. 

The Queen looked from you to General Hux. “She's very talented and educated in diplomacy, as well as in depth learning of the Helinion System.”. 

Hux looked at you then back to the Queen. “So the Duchess is a good fit I’m hearing?”

_ Duchess? Good fit? What in the seven hells did I miss?  _

The Queen narrowed her eyes and responded. “Indeed her qualifications are outstanding and she would be of great assistance,” she glanced at you. “And her title as Royal Duchess was dropped when her treacherous father attempted to destroy our family and joined the Resistance.” she spat. “But I can assure you she has no affiliation with him or her late mother, she is only the product of the finest Aeliaian blood and grooming.”. You quickly grabbed the wine pitcher and filled your glass full. You really  _ really  _ hated the conversation about your ‘treacherous’ parents, despite the stone on your neck, you really didn’t remember much of them. Gods you were eight when you were ripped from the beautiful Chandrila and sent to live with your uncle. You spent your upbringing constantly being told how without proper training, you would hatch your own treachery. Which was bullshit of course you could barely remember who the people were who raised you till you were eight, you just remembered their faces, your old house, the lake and the trees, and the friends you had. After all the time it started to feel like a dream, like it wasn’t real. It felt like a dream as you remember the happiness and bliss you felt. 

Hux clapped his hands. “This is very good news, we can start as early as tomorrow on our plans.” This shook you from your reminiscing about the past. 

You cleared your throat. “I’m sorry, di- did I miss something? Wha-...what is happening tomorrow?” You sounded more timid than you wanted to. You took a small sip from your glass. 

Hux kindly responded. “The First Order wants to negotiate individual contracts with each planet and moon in this large system. And we need someone to represent the Aelian name as well as someone so well trained in diplomacy and the system itself.” He smiled and took a wine glass sip. 

“My dear,” you snapped your head at your aunt in surprise because she has never  _ ever  _ talked to you like that. “You should be thrilled at this wonderful opportunity to put all that skill and knowledge you learned to good use, a great way to prove yourself to the family.” She smiled. You nearly threw up at her kindness. 

Hux set down his glass. “The First Order can accommodate you well,  _ The Finalizer  _ & _ The Supremacy  _ are very luxurious vessels, which will be no stranger to your life here.” He turned to the Queen. “We will have to run a check on her of course to make sure she has no affiliations with her parents. But you can expect for her to be gone for a fairly long time as we…” you once again drowned it out. So the Queen finally found a way to be rid of you. Not to mention to have an excuse to have you be probed about your father which over the years had become her favorite activity. You felt your heart start to beat fast. Krosio stared at you from across the table in worry, you looked back realizing the tears in your eyes. You needed out. 

You stood up causing everyone at the table to look at you. “You’ll have to excuse me... I uhhh- I need some fresh air.”. Everyone gaped at you at your sudden rudeness as you had also interrupted the conversation. You turned to walk away but remembered something. 

You picked up your full wine glass. “Ah I nearly forgot this, uhhh” you nodded at the table of shocked guests. You slightly stumbled as you pushed the chair away, and stroud to an arch that led outside. Your heels clacked loudly as your gown trailed behind. You could almost see the shocked faces at your little performance. You didn’t care. Your head was too cloudy to care. 

A cool breeze greeted you as you walked out to the moonlit patio. You walked over to a balcony that looked over the sea. You placed your glass down and breathed deeply, closing your eyes. You felt the warm air breeze across your skin just as it filled your lungs, soothing you like medicine. The soft rumble of the waterfall played a back drop the calming silence of the patio, only sometimes to be interrupted by a rustle from the trees that towered over you. 

Your mind couldn’t help but wonder if the world had cursed you. Not that living as the most hated human at a strange court was enough, now you had to go live in an even stranger place but with strangers. You knew the likelihood of Elessia coming with you was low, but not as low as having Krusio come. You could almost taste the loneliness that was bound to come, and the feeling of cold space air. You reached for your necklace and clutched it, remembering the earlier conversation about your mother. A single tear rolled down your cheek. Yes you didn’t exactly remember her entirely, but what you did remember was the happiness you felt, a feeling that was as far as the Core Worlds at this point. A feeling of belonging, where everyday you weren’t reminded of your low status and alleged treachery. 

_ Wait why am I so sad again? _

The hand around the stone fell to your side. You still had tears pouring out but not quite sure, they just did. Your eyes opened to moons hanging on the horizon, their reflection in the sea. As much as you enjoyed the ocean view it made you feel sleepy and dizzy. You thought of your favorite bench in the gardens. 

_ There's a good place to go drunk cry.  _

You made a mental plan to get there which started with walking. You spun around a little too quickly and felt dizzy preceding to stumble forward. Your cloudy drunk mind didn’t even register what was happening until you felt a pair of leathered hands catch you. 

You felt them steady you as they moved to grip your arms. The leather was warm as it touched your bare skin. In your peripherals you saw a wall of black robes. Your mind raced as it struggled to grasp what was happening. Your eyes focused on the pair of black leather boots and black robes that partially covered them. 

_ Who the fuck- _

Your eyes quickly glanced up to see who had caught your fall. You nearly lost your step again but the gloved hands still held onto you. Kylo Ren's mask stared down at you. You felt your heart pick up pace. He was tall, way taller up close to what you had previously thought. Your breath was caught in your throat as you further realized who exactly caught your drunk ass stumbling. You almost felt embarrassed at the thought, the most fearsome man in the whole Galaxy was seeing you, four wine glasses deep into an emotional episode. Your eyes searched the blank space you assumed where the eyes would be, you knew you couldn’t see anything but black, yet you tried anyway. 

“I….” your words drifted off. You weren’t sure if you should say thank you or honestly say anything at all. 

A leather hand left your arm for a second, you tensed as it moved to your neck, taking a sharp inhale. It picked up the gem you earlier had been clutching, he rolled between his fingers lightly before gently putting it back down. You continued to stare as he did this, too afraid to move. 

You jumped slightly at his voice, it was low and machine like. “I’ve seen you somewhere before.” He still had his hands on your arms while he continued to loom over you. You had to crane your neck to look up. You just realized how close you had been standing. As you breathed you felt your chest touch his. The closeness made you wanna back away but you felt frozen in fear. He spoke again “Where have I seen you?”

You continued to stare up.  _ What was he talking about? Seen him? I think I’d remember meeting him.  _ You opened your mouth to speak but no noise came out, so you just shook your head. Your sweaty hands found your dress and you began to play with it in your hands. 

“I know your face from somewhere...a place...” His head looked up at the ocean behind you, like he was looking for something. 

Somewhere, perhaps the wine you found the courage to speak. “I…I don’t think you’ve seen me.” You still held still, you were afraid, you had heard rumors of the infamous Kylo Ren. But you never thought you’d meet him, or that he was real. 

His mask focused his attention back to you. It looked like it cocked its head to the side as it observed your face. You became suddenly aware of the tears on your cheeks and snot from your nose. Even more likely the disheveled hair and smell of wine on your breath. 

_ Good lord no more wine.  _

A gloved hand reached up to your face and hesitated, before it fell to his side and released his other hand. He stepped back getting rid of the closeness that had been between you. He put his hands behind his back. You stepped back a little bit as well, still looking up at the mask. Your hands connected with the balcony, you decided to use it as support. The two of you just stared in silence for a moment before a voice called from behind Kylo. 

“Ren  _ Ren _ get back in here your knights…” Hux trailed off as he seemingly walked into the already very awkward situation. Hux clasped his hands behind his back as she strode up between you two. “Ah I’ve seen you’ve become acquainted with our newest addition.” Hux nodded to you grinning. “Perhaps she can teach you some manners, she's had  _ proper _ training.” he sneered. Kylo turned to him, fists clenching. 

“Is there something  _ important  _ General?” 

“In fact there is, those little beasts you call Knights have become terrorizing their other guests. I would say you need to control them but seeing as you can barely control yourself that is a difficult task.” Hux snickered, obviously enjoying the power he had being Kylos official babysitter. Wordlessly Kylo stormed away back into the ballroom. Hux glanced at you. “If they don’t tell you we leave tomorrow at noon for the  _ Finalizer,  _ it is expected that you’d be ready by then.”. With that Hux turned following Kylo. As he passed underneath the arch he passed Krosio, they both looked at each other for a moment before continuing on their intended paths. Krosio walked to you. 

“What the fuck was that. I’ll admit I was shocked it wasn’t me who acted out of place, but  _ you?” _ He snickered as he came closer but his amusement was gone as he saw your face. He opened his mouth to speak but you cut him off. 

“I'm fine...just a little bit drunk.” You turned back to the ocean. Instinctively you reached for the wine glass, but instead of drinking it you threw it over the balcony. “I don’t even care, they don’t even care.”. 

“Pfft a little bit drunk? I think you gave my father a run for his money. And who is ‘they’?” He arrived at your side, sharing the view of the ocean. 

“I didn’t mean to get this bad and Hux just told me I could teach Ren some manners, like I didn’t just storm out.” 

“Yeah what was going on before I came out here, he came in to come get his knights because they were bugging the palace guards, but he seemed more flustered then usual.” You looked up at him. 

“I honestly don’t know, I think I fell or something, and then he caught...I don't know…” suddenly you felt very dizzy. 

“He  _ caught  _ you? What the- you really need to slow on the wine next time.” He started to laugh most likely because he thought you were joking. Didn’t matter. Your mouth started to taste very bitter. 

“I don't wanna ever drink again.” Suddenly, you were leaning over the balcony throwing up, all over the bushes. “Fuucccckkkk.” You closed your eyes, slowly swaying. You gripped the balcony edge, inhaling deeply. You felt Krosios arm slip around you. 

“I think you need to go lay down.” He guided your arm around his neck. You try to tear it away. 

“I can fucking walk.” He didn’t budge, just looked at with a look of  _ is-that-so.  _ The truth was you probably couldn’t walk. You obliged by putting your arm around him again. “Usually I can walk.” you grumbled. The two of you started to head back to the ballroom again but you stopped. “I don’t wanna go in there, everyone will see me.”

“Everyone already saw you, it doesn’t matter anymore.” He started towards the door again.

“No, I don’t wanna go that way.” You put all your force to make him stop. He looked at you for a moment, then he nodded and started towards the path to the back garden, presumably to use the door that went to the front terrace. “Thank you.” 

It took you both a while to walk around the whole building and through the gardens. You kept telling yourself that with every step it brought you closer to your room, and bed. Finally, you reached a door that led back inside, it entered at the terrace you had first met the First Order. The two of you quietly entered the large empty space. Your footsteps echoed off of the walls and arched ceiling. It was dark allowing the only light to be from the stars and cities. 

You heard hushed voices, unfamiliar voices dancing around the hall. You stopped and looked up at Krosio. Curiosity and confusion filled his face as did yours. You both crept closer to the sound of the noise, you finally were able to make them out. You immediately recognized them as Hux and none other than Kylo Ren himself. 

“Ren don’t you dare play those dirty tricks on me we have an  _ agreement.”  _ You spotted Hux standing at one end of the terrace and Ren at the other end. 

“General don’t give me a reason to believe I need to and I wouldn’t.” 

“Supreme Leader Snoke has ordered you to-”

“The Supreme Leader does not want his plans corrupted.” 

“Ren when you will understand your incompetence and your role in all of this, I’m sure the Supreme Leader meant for you to learn not  _ lead  _ the negotiations.” 

Kylo took a step closer to Hux clenching his fists. “All I’ve learned is how you have confused your own aspirations and the First Orders to mean the same thing.” 

Hux raised his hushed voice as he stepped forward a step. “Ren may I remind you of how  _ your _ failed little search resulted in the need of this system in the  _ first place.” _

Kylo Ren then snapped his head around to stare at you and Krosio awkwardly gawking at them. Hux followed his line of sight and peered down at the two of you. “Tucking away so soon my lady?” he cooed through his mask.

You gulped. “I’m not quite feeling myself, sir.” A beat. “I’ve had a long day.”. 

A moment of silence passed before Hux responded. “Rest well my lord and lady.” He swiftly disappeared. Kylo stared for only a quick second before following Hux. 

After the echoes of their footsteps had disappeared did you and Krosio shared a glance. He chuckled. “They are such a charming family.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to upload the second chapter so that y'all can have some Kylo after all that exposition stuff. I hope you guys appreciate my numerous Game of Thrones references. I just can't help myself. As always let me know of any helpful criticisms you have and I will hopefully be uploading once a week on Sundays because without school I feel aimless and need some due dates :)


	3. Farewell

Sun shined through the high windows in the chamber. The beams illuminated the large marble table that sat in front of you. The marble felt smooth underneath your fingertips as they dragged across. It was late morning, nearly noon, it was almost time for you to go. You and Elessia had spent all morning packing and preparing for your departure. It was nearly time to head to the hanger but the King had requested your presence in his conference chamber. 

The doors opened, echoing around the large room. The King stepped out and he grinned at you. You promptly bowed to him feeling your hair as it fell in front of your shoulders. You rose. 

“Come my child.” He held his arms out for a hug. You walked over and wrapped your arms around his neck, he held you close. Although your uncle had never been much of a father figure to you, he was the closest relative you had to him and for that, you cherished him. You parted him. 

“It's so nice to see you uncle.” You beamed up at him. He smiled at you, before moving past you to sit at the table behind you. You followed suit and sat next to him and situated yourself so that your cloak was draped over the side of the chair. 

“I appreciate you coming at such a late notice, I wanted to catch you before you left.” He poured himself a cup of wine from the gilded pitcher. He motioned at the cup sitting by you but you shook your head. 

“I figured I would take a break from drinking for a while.” 

He chuckled. “I respect your decision, but alas I love my wine far too much to part with it.” He lifted his cup to you before taking a drink. He set the cup down and looked up at you. “As much as I’d like to chat about wine with my dearest niece we have important matters to discuss.” 

You sat up. “Oh?” 

He gulped down some wine. “I know that over the years, since you’ve arrived from Chandrilia, I wasn’t exactly the uncle you needed.” 

You began to shake your head. “No no it's perfectly fine your the King you were busy-” 

“Spare me child. It's okay to admit I was far more absent then I should’ve been.” 

You sighed. “Alright I will admit you weren’t around but I was fine on my own, you didn’t need to be there.” 

He reached out taking your hands, shaking his head. “No but I did. Your father he-” he paused and glanced around the room before looking at you directly in the eye. “Your father was a great  _ great  _ man. He was far more admirable than I’ll ever be, it should’ve been him who sat on the throne, not me.” 

You looked at him in shock. “But I thought he betrayed our family and-” 

He cut you off again, squeezing your hand tighter. “Doesn’t matter what he did, he did what he believed was right. I wish I could say I hate him for it, but I don’t. I understand him in ways no one else could, and yet I’ve let him down.” You looked at him in confusion. “I was trusted with his daughter, with you. And I didn’t treat you the way I should’ve. You needed a man, someone to show you the world. All I did was pay for some fancy school to do that for you.” 

Never in your life had the king been so honest and vulnerable with you. The topic of your father was never voluntarily spoken of. “From what I remember of my parents they seemed like good people.” 

“They were the very best kind.” He let go of your hands and stood up. He walked over to a table off to the side and opened a gold box. Out of it he pulled a long leather cord with a gold medal at the end of it. He turned around back at you. “This was your father’s, he left it to me for you. It's the medal all Aelian men wear. I figured since you're officially ‘entering the world’ under the Aelian name, now is the time for you to have it.”

He lifted it over your head and placed it around your neck. It was long, the medal rested just below your chest. You reached and let your fingers wrap around the cold shiny object. You held it front of you and peered at it. It was a sun with leaves bordering the rim of the circle. The King took his place again in front of you. 

“You deserve to wear it. You are the Lady Aelia there's no reason for you not to have it.” His fingers reached out and lightly traced the engraving. You opened your mouth to say something, but were unsure of what to say. 

The door to the chamber opened again causing you and the King to glance over. It was Oukai. 

“My lady its time.” 

You looked back to your uncle who was smiling at you. He once again hugged you bringing you close. You closed your eyes as you rested your head on his shoulder. You lightly whispered a thank you before parting and standing up. As you approached the door you stole one last glance over your shoulder at him. He winked. 

“Go my child.” You nodded and walked out the door to Oukai. 

*****

The hangar was crowded and albeit a little chaotic. There were two shuttles. One was a large one with wings that you presumed would be the one you will ride in. The other one was a typical carrier type being loaded with luggage. In front of the two shuttles was a group of people. On one side stood Hux with his generals while Kylo and his knights fanned around them. They held their weapons casually and looked a little bored. Kylo on the other hand was impatiently flexing his fists and arguing with Hux about god knows what. The other group was composed of Krosio and Elessia waiting for you with some palace guards. Oukai led you over to that group. 

You strode over to find Elessia laughing with Krosio. When they spotted you they grinned. 

Elessia spoke first. “My lady it pains me that the day where we part has come” She took your hand. 

“Don’t make me feel bad about leaving you will still have each other.” They glanced at one another. 

Krosio leaned in. “Mother is sending me to a fancy academy like you.” He leaned back looking at you. 

You gaped at him. “Why would she do that? Did you do something to get in trouble.” 

He shook his head. “I need to learn regardless she says so I’m supposed to leave the day after tomorrow.” 

“Ah, well I guess we won’t be seeing each other for awhile then.” His arms opened up for a hug and you swung your arms over his shoulder. You stood like that for a while before he let go. You then turned to Elessia and gave her a hug. “Don’t look so sad I’m not gonna be gone long.” 

Elessia and Krosio smiled at you one last time before turning to walk away. You sighed feeling butterflies in your stomach. Fuck you were so nervous because you weren’t gonna know anyone and be in a completely foreign environment. You walked towards Hux and when he spotted you he waved away the conversation. 

“You have an absurd amount of luggage.” He looked displeased but it was easy to assume he was always displeased about something. 

“The Aelian name commands respect in the Helinion system, it would be improper to not show them the same in my dress.” 

He chuckled. “My lady I hope you are as learnt as you say, it is vastly important to the First Order that we can depend on Helinion and her respective systems for a solid alliance.” 

You smiled. “Of course General I would expect nothing less from an organization like the First Order”. He grinned. 

“Good my Lady then we shouldn’t waste time and get on with it.” You nodded. 

Hux promptly walked up the ramp followed by his two generals and disappeared into the ship. If only it was as easy as it looked. The Knights of Ren had seemed to crowd around the ramp, and were once again casually at rest. You supposed only they could be at ease, because who in their kriffing right mind would ever think to mess with them. Thus, you took a deep breath in and tried to be as subtle as possible as you crept by them. But as soon as your heel connected with the ramp you padded up quickly. 

They probably thought you were weird or something, that's if they think at all. When you entered the main cabin area, it was surprisingly roomy. Okay a little bit more than roomy. There were a few rows of launch chairs behind the door to the cockpit. Behind the chairs was a sitting area of red leather sofas and chairs. And even behind that was a tight stair that led up to what you guessed would be bunkers. While you stood there gawking at the surprisingly well roomed area, you heard heavy footsteps walk up the ramp. 

You quickly jumped out of the doorway and into the launch seat in the front as the six terrifying warriors climbed aboard. You were scared to look as you strapped yourself in, and you continued to face forward. The sounds of heavy masses clouded around as they filled the seats. But instead of leaving the seats around you empty out of common courtesy, one sat right next to you and one on the other side. You gulped. 

_ Oh dear god save me.  _

Kylo Ren angrily walked into your field of vision and opened the cockpit door. Though he was large you could see that Hux was in there angrily spewing commands at Kylo before he slammed the door shut. All you could hear now was the inevitable angry exchange between the two and the ramp sealing shut. The light from the hangar was gone leaving you in the cold bright light of the shuttle. You felt the knight next to you shift uncomfortably. 

The ship roared to life giving it an ambient noise of a smooth hum. You tried your best to ignore the fact that six figures around that had a deadly energy. Never in a million years could you dream that you would be in this exact position. You wanted to shift in your seat to be more comfortable but didn’t want to appear like the next living creature they wanted to gut and skin. 

The cockpit door whooshed open. It took your eyes and neck a minute to find his mask. His hood partially covered it making him seem like some sort of creature that lived in the dark. Before you could even think to breathe he motioned to the cockpit behind him.

“Get in here.” he growled. 

_ Don’t need to tell me twice.  _

You scrambled out of your seat belt and rushed towards the door, forgetting your original plan to camouflage into the seat. He left the doorway to allow you passage into the room. It had large floor length windows that illuminated the entire room with the natural light you were starting to miss back with your new friends. 

The cockpit was filled with a crew that hovered over control boards that rounded the front of the ship in a horseshoe shape with launch chairs lined up behind it. Outside space whirred by making you slightly dizzy, you ignored it and focused on what was in front of you. In the center sat a table that projected a hologram of a system of planets. From behind the glittery glow of a forested moon was Hux who was smirking. He rounded the table facing you with his hands crossed behind his back. 

“We’ve already begun discussing our plans to begin on the moon Maoxian, their valuable tree sap is very useful to us for our medics. We want to offer them protective services to them in exchange for the medicine.” You heard Kylo Ren walk from behind him to lean on the table, the holographic planets reflecting on his mask. Hux glanced over before continuing. “But the locals are very...uncivilized and difficult to discuss with so we’ve heard.” 

You shifted unsteadily on your feet before also approaching the table. “I assume this is where my role comes in?” 

“Precisely my lady I presume the alliance between your family and the local Zhànshìmens will give us an upper hand in negotiating our personal terms?” 

“It will but the Zhànshìmens had many centuries of war before they formally joined our system politically. They are an arrogant and prideful people, and strongly skilled warriors. They won’t submit easily.” 

“So we have to destroy them to make them obey.” Kylo Ren muttered through his mask, the deep tone of it ringing. 

“Well no...but negotiations will be tricky to navigate and time consuming if we approach it badly.” 

Hux paced to his position behind the moon. “So how do we approach them then?”

“Well first I can ask for a formal invitation to a banquet as a way to pay our respect, as well as gifts, they have a particular taste for gold things, and after that we can bring our terms.” 

The mask shifted to look at you. “So we have to kiss their ass first before we can even start?” You nodded. “I don’t see why we can’t just intimidate them, make them listen and agree.” 

You furrowed your brows at him in confusion. “In my opinion it's most beneficial for both parties to have a sit down discussion. Due to their lack of advanced technology they are closed off from knowledge of the galaxy. We can’t offer them safety if they don’t know what they’ll need to be safe from.” 

Hux frowned. “So are you suggesting that when we start the sit down talks we...teach them?” 

“They have no knowledge of affairs outside of their own, they prefer it that way.” 

“Well you mentioned earlier that they like gold things. Can we just give them some coins in exchange?” Hux asked. 

“General, I highly doubt you have enough gold to persuade them to allow you to cut down their forests with free reign.” 

“So our only bargaining chip is protection?” 

You paused thinking. “Well actually giving them weapons could work, although one clan mostly rules the moon there are still guerrilla uprisings. Weapons with limited technology could be highly useful to them.” 

Hux looked confused. “So we give them weapons to kill each other? But wouldn’t that just instigate a war that would make it difficult to efficiently extract what we need?” 

You hadn’t thought of that. “Actually you are right a war could quickly escalate into a planet crisis as it has in the past, possibly even a clan change. The guerrilla clans outnumber the large one, but can’t cooperate and unite allowing one to take over. Giving them weapons that could be stolen.” 

Hux frowned again, or maybe it was just his default expression. “So we’re back to convincing them they need protection.” You nodded. 

Truthfully Maoxiam didn’t need protection, it was a small moon in an already hardly known system. The likelihood of a death gang showing up to take over it was low. But you had heard whispers of attempts on Helinion of gangs from across the galaxy from the palace guards. Perhaps they did need- 

You flinched as you were interrupted by the sound of a fist colliding with the hard metal outside the table. The mask angrily yelled making his voice modifier crackle. “All this talk will take too long _. _ My men need this medicine now so that we can begin taking worlds at full strength. We are the First Order, we can obliterate planets and we are busy trying to impress savages.” 

Before you could say anything Hux turned to him. “May I remind you  _ Ren  _ they are not your men they are  _ my  _ men, you do not command them. And if you had been listening and paying attention as Snoke has  _ commanded  _ you would know that we can’t just storm down there so stupidly like you want.” 

“Do not begin to lecture me on what the Supreme Leader wants, General, you know  _ nothing  _ of the power of the dark side, your lack of knowledge makes you weak.” he spat. 

“ _ Weak?  _ Is this from the same man who storms off from a dinner whenever he hears a  _ name?”  _

Almost in one motion Kylo ignited his lightsaber and Hux flew back knocking into a wall, he collided with it and landed on the floor. Kylo then lifted his lightsaber up and slashed the table in half ridding the room of the electric glow the planets had. The crew seemed unbothered by the burst of energy as they continued to fiddle with buttons. Kylo on the other hand stood there clenching his fists with his red lightsaber crackling next to him. 

You stood there frozen, gawking at the scene that had just unfolded. You peered at the angry masked menace, you felt his hot energy pour out of him just from his. He didn’t acknowledge you as he sheathed his lightsaber. Hux adjusted himself from off of the floor and stood up, adjusting his uniform. 

“The Supreme Leader will hear about that.” he spat as he patted his hair back down. 

Kylo Ren began to walk out of the cockpit. “We’ll continue this later.” He walked past you slightly brushing your shoulder as you stood there still. 

It was only after you heard the cockpit door close that you started to move again. A head turned from one of the crew announcing that the landing cycle was to begin and that you needed to be in a launch chair. You sat down at one and buckled in watching the blurred streaks of hyperspace steady to blinking stars. You’d nearly forgotten how pretty space was. 

The ship began to tremble as it was absorbed into the ship's gravity. But once it passed through the hangar it made a smooth landing onto the shiny floors. Through the windows you could see that it was littered with TIE fighters and people walking around in various uniforms. It was clearly built for the military with no bright colors. You already began to long for the comfort of a planet already. 

“Here my Lady.” You glanced up at Hux who was holding a thin black tablet to you. “It's your data pad. We'll use it to contact you and it’ll guide you around the ship.”. 

“Oh...thank you.” You took it into your hands. It was cold but it looked brand new as you began to turn it on. Realizing Hux was still standing over you, you decided it was good time to become better acquainted with your colleagues. “Does he always act so…?”

“Childish is the word you're looking for.” He began to walk away but you swiftly stood up trying to get in pace with him as he began to exit the cockpit. One thing you had learned from your time in the Core Worlds was the importance of powerful allies, despite Hux being thrown to a wall just then he was the top general in the First Order. You caught up with him and followed him through the cockpit. The main cabin was already empty of Kylo and his knights as he walked to the ramp. You walked next to him, he glanced at you confusingly and before he could say anything you spoke. 

“General I understand my purpose here with the First Order and I would like to thank you-” 

“Spare me the nonsense your mother made it perfectly clear she just needed you out of her way and we so happened to want a little extra leverage.” He continued to walk as you stopped at his lack of manners, like he flipped a switch now that he was back in his habitat. Your brief pause forced you to run and catch up with him. He kept facing forward as he marched. You couldn’t match his long strides as he quickened his pace now that you were off the ramp. 

“She is not my mother, she is my non-paternal aunt.” you spat. 

“Same difference.” 

“So you didn’t even actually need me and I could’ve stayed at my home.” 

He scoffed. “Your mother made it  _ clear  _ she wanted you out and we’ve recently lost a diplomat of ours and your skills and name are useful to us.” 

“So this is an unpaid job now and she is  _ not  _ my mother?” you had to skip a little as he raced away from the ship. 

“It seems that way doesn’t it.” 

“So I’m a slave for the First Order?” he finally stopped and looked extremely annoyed. 

“What you are is some royal outcast that I have conveniently recruited for the time being and I suggest you do as you're told and behave well, this isn’t some silly pampered court this is a military operation.” You wish you could slap off his obvious disgust for you. 

“And if I do as I am instructed and advise you well throughout your exchanges then what?” 

“I couldn’t care less about you after this whole charade.” 

“Then how are you keeping me accountable  _ General  _ I could easily ruin all of your negotiations if I want.” 

He barely batted an eye at your rudeness. “You should be thankful for your position with us because what your mother is planning is far far worse then an unpaid  _ job _ , so once again take my advice: do as your told and maybe I won’t send you back to your stupid little planet with your idiot king.” At that he began to walk away. 

“She is  _ not  _ my mother!” you called out after him. He didn’t even acknowledge you as he entered the corridor. You grumbled as you whipped out your data pad. It shouldn’t have surprised you that the whole ‘important representative of the Aelian family’ was utter bullshit, it was just slightly embarrassing to hear it from the General of the First fucking Order. But you were still surprised because up until this point Hux had been nice, and seemingly thrilled to have you, but you were wrong. And not only were you wrong but you were completely alone on a large military vessel with no real purpose. 

You turned your datapad on and quickly navigated to a map to your brand new quarters. You figured it would be easier to process the rest of Hux’s words there. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this on Fathers Day so happy fathers day to Daddy Kylo Ren :) Of course Kylo hasn't earned that nickname yet in this story but he will in a few chapters also thanks so much for reading <3


	4. Noticeably Silent

You yawned. A big yawn. You were tired, you foolishly spent the whole night unpacking and having fun exploring your quarters. Despite Hux’s harsh words you were given quarters with the highest ranking officers, aka a window and more then the minimum space required. Although the  _ Finalizer  _ was a military vessel it still maintained an eye pleasing aesthetic of black, steel and the occasional red. But now you sat in a meeting with a lot of people you didn't know. However you did know Hux and Kylo Ren who sat amongst the crowded circular table. 

You yawned again as your eyes lazily gazed out of the window to the star filled abyss. Hux’s early chime for a meeting from your datapad had given you minimal time for coffee, although you didn’t usually drink it you started to understand why everyone did. Your zoning out was interrupted by a raised voice from Hux. 

“This mission is far too important to be  _ reckless _ , we need a careful strategy with the natives. The First Order can't afford to expend resources to…” you zoned out again. This time looking at the reflection of the stars in the black mask of Kylo Ren. He was leaning back, almost relaxed but it had taken you no more than five minutes to know he was simply waiting for his moment to interrupt Hux. 

You began to observe him more closely. He was extremely large for the average person, his size led him to take up alot of space like a bubble around him. Or it was his dangerous blood lustful vibe that scared people from wanting to be near him. He didn’t seem to care however, possibly even preferred it that way. After the days previous events of him slashing the table it was easy to assume that if he openly acted like that he didn’t care much for others opinions. Everyone was beneath the  _ Commander  _ as you had learned, and he knew this especially when he spoke harshly with no regard for politeness. Snoke whoever he was, had the right idea trying to teach him manners. 

Your eyes had been so locked on the Commander you didn’t notice he was now looking back at you. Pretending to not have been looking at him you glanced away at a man you didn’t know who was speaking. 

“If we want any real discussion with these... _ savages,  _ we need a reason to go there without appearing hostile.” 

That's when Hux’s eyes found yours. “Didn’t you say yesterday you could ask for an invitation to some banquet?” 

You sat up placing your hands in a clasp on the table. “Uhh yes General they are required to host any member of the royal family at any given time.” You paused looking at everyone's gaze that was now on you. “I could ask for an invite at one of their weekly feasts, I believe there should be one the day after tomorrow.” 

Hux stood. “Well it's settled, I’ll prepare for a shuttle and a landing party that will include the Commander and I. As for now we can have a later meeting to discuss our terms. Dismissed.” 

Everyone rose and bowed and exited the room creating a clatter of chairs moving and boots being shuffled. You were unsure what to do so you stood after the table was nearly cleared. Hux was looking at his datapad and the Commander still sat, obviously suggesting that Hux doesn’t dismiss him only he can. You picked up your datapad and made way to the door before Hux called out. 

“I need that invite by the end of the day.” 

You nodded. “Yes sir.” Turning to leave again he spoke up again. 

“In fact I’ll have one of the hologram meeting rooms booked for you. I’ll send the info to your datapad.” You nodded and rushed out of the meeting room eager to leave. 

As expected a few seconds later a notification popped up on the screen with the room number and a call to Moaxian in a few hours. You decided with your extra leisure time to explore the  _ Finalizer.  _ The halls were busy full of troopers and officers alike rushing around. But there were still some areas that despite being a military ship seemed to be built for leisure and fun.

There was a bar area that was sparsely filled with officers drinking and chatting. And a mini shopping area with all kinds of merchandise ranging from little toy stormtroopers to electronic gadgets. As much fun the  _ Finalizer  _ was you couldn’t help but miss the palace, and the sweet sound of ocean waves and the rustle of leaves in the breeze. You could almost picture the warm air blowing through the grand halls and rooms. But that was gone now, all you had was a metal ship with no breezes or calming sounds besides commotion and stress. Speaking of stressful sounds you heard a loud commotion around the hall. 

You quickly rounded the corner to see what the big noise was to find a crowd gathered around something. People looked stunned and were gasping at whatever they saw. You heard the shaky fearful voice of a man. 

“I’m sorry sir I-I didn’t mean to-” 

“I  _ know  _ what you meant.” 

You immediately recognized the voice of Kylo Ren and began to try to shove into the crowd to get a better look. People were too stunned and entranced by the scene to notice as you squeezed into the front of the crowd. There was a large circle around an officer who was backed into a wall on the ground. He looked terrified as he gazed up at Kylo looming over him. 

“I’m sorry sir please I didn’t think anyone would hear-”

“You should do better to respect your superiors and remember what you are.” 

“I swear I swear sir please it won’t happen again.” He was gasping and pleading. 

Kylo picked him up by the collar and shoved him against the wall. 

“Your right it won’t happen again.” In one motion he ignited his lightsaber and stuck it right through his body. You watched as terror entered the man's eyes as he realized what was going on, before he lost all life and looked dead. Kylo dropped him to the ground and you could smell the burned flesh. 

Your hand went to your mouth as you tried to suppress the gasp you took. Never in your life had you seen someone killed right in front of you with no warning. Yes you were afraid and cautious of the Commander, but you never thought he would take someone's life over what was most likely a small thing. The man crumpled to the floor and his lifeless gaze stared at nothing. Your hand left your mouth as you tried to take breaths to calm your nerves. How in the world were you supposed to work with a man like that, he had no self control, patience or respect. 

As if Kylo heard your thoughts he turned up and looked at you. The whole crowd stood frozen as he marched up to you, clenching his fists. You looked up at him making no effort to hide the alarm on your face. He stopped right in front of you. 

His low baritone voice made you flinch. “Do you feel  _ sympathy  _ for this man?” 

Tears started to well in your eyes out of either fear or how overwhelmed you felt from the whole situation. You let your eyes wander back to the man. With your eyes trained on him you softly spoke. “Did he even do anything wrong?” 

Leather fingers clawed your chin to face him. “You have a lot to learn about the First Order.”

He dropped your chin violently and then turned around to the crowd which parted like the Red Sea nearly knocking you over. He stormed through it leaving the dead man behind him. Once Kylo had left everyone continued on with their day moving back to what they were doing, keeping a fair distance from the corpse on the floor. 

You stood there for a minute, stunned at what just happened, continuing to wonder what he could have possibly done to cause his own death, and more importantly if you were gonna be next. A pair of troopers came and began to pick him up, lifting his body up. One of them noticed you just standing there and staring. 

“Get on with your day girl.” 

You took one last look before deciding you’d spend the time before your meeting in your quarters. As you walked down the halls they became less and less crowded the more you neared the residency section. This place felt extremely foreign and was nothing like home. You were used to the sun, trees and the outdoors. Not cold hallways and windows of nothing but stars. When you pressed open the doors to your quarters you looked around at the clean monochrome black furniture. 

It made you miss your room back at home, and Elessia who you wished could’ve come with you. You felt tears come to your eyes and the familiar feeling of homesickness in your stomach. Leaning your head against the wall you tried to remind yourself that it was only temporary and you could be back soon. But even then Krosio was gone and would be away for a while leaving you alone with your drunken uncle and unloving aunt. There was nothing for you back home but Elessia and the familiarity of the palace. You took a deep breath and decided to take a bath. 

Filling the large black tub in the center of the refresher, and putting an obnoxious amount of bubble bath in. You stripped out of your clothes, threw them on your bed, clipped your hair up, and slid into the extremely hot water. Despite the initial uncomfort, the water temperature allowed you to melt into the water. Setting your head back on the rim of the tub you began to relax, letting the pleasant smell of lavender allow you to dream of scenarios where you could actually smell real life lavender. 

A loud crash awoke you. You realized you must’ve fallen asleep based on how sore your neck felt. Still laced with sleepiness you glanced around the bathroom trying to figure what the noise was. You heard rustling like  _ someone  _ was in your room. Just as you were about to get out the door slammed open revealing the person you least expected to see. 

_ Kylo Ren.  _

You yelped and slid into the water trying to gather bubbles to cover your breasts. He stood awkwardly in the doorway as you uncomfortably tried to shift yourself in the tub. After what seemed like a minute you were beginning to grow annoyed at his unannounced arrival to stand there and watch you squirm. 

“Is there something you  _ need, Commander _ .” you shot him an angry look. There was something about getting caught naked in a tub that gave you the confidence to not have any fear. Which made you realize how awkward he must’ve felt, and why he was possibly not saying anything. Whatever the case a stroke of confidence told you to lift out of the water a slight bit to make the tops of your breasts peak out, sliding one kneed out of the water as you settled your head against the bath rim. 

“If you don’t need anything, I'd like to enjoy my bath.” 

“What about our meeting?” 

Your eyes flew open when you heard this, suddenly remembering that you needed to be somewhere. You nearly jumped out of the tub but stopped yourself as he now leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed. It was slightly shocking to see him so  _ normal  _ even with the whole scary mask thing. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry to move. 

“Our meeting?” 

He nodded. “In 10 minutes.” 

You furrowed your brows at him at how calm he appeared. Wasn’t the whole purpose of this meeting to help him and the First Order and didn’t he care about being there enough to show some urgency. You realized that he needed you more than you needed to listen to him. Once again you leaned your head back, closing your eyes. 

“Are you going to kill me if I don’t go?” 

“Maybe.” 

You opened one eye to peek at him. “I can’t get out if you are standing there.” 

“Why not?” 

You opened both eyes now. “Because….I can’t.” 

He stood there for a second before leaving. As soon as he left you unplugged the drain and reached for your towel drying off. You went to reach for your robe but you realized it wasn’t there. 

_ Fuck.  _

Sensing he was still in the room you wrapped the towel around you tightly, and walked out. Kylo was standing by the door  _ waiting  _ for you. This was odd, weirdly odd especially since earlier he was berating you for your sympathy in front of a crowd of people. What was the most weird is the comfort and ease you suddenly felt with him all of the sudden. You merely glanced at him as you tiptoed to your closet to find a new outfit for the meeting. 

You know the whole point of the meeting was to be the face of Aelia so you selected a dark green wrap toga dress with gold accents. Usually just change in the open but given the  _ strange  _ circumstances you began to walk to the bathroom with your items in tow. 

“We don’t have time to waste, just change out here I’m not looking.” You froze. Indeed he was not looking now that his back was turned facing the blast doors. You wanted to protest but decided if you changed facing him you could make sure he never looked. Carefully you took your towel off and tossed it on the bed, shivering at the cool air as it touched your fresh skin. 

Quickly you slipped the dress on, cinching the gold clasps to hold the dress together. Not sure if you should say anything that he could turn around, you peaked in the mirror to see the bun you did was surprisingly good, and after you pulled a few hairs out it was presentable enough for a meeting. You looked for your gold slippers to see them sitting next to Kylo who was still facing towards the wall. 

In the moment you began to appreciate how enormous he was, engulfing nearly the entire door frame. Or how obvious from his shoulders that he was fit and muscular beneath all the black robes. His voice interrupted your thoughts. 

“Can we go now?” 

“Uhhhh yeah I just need my shoes and datapad.” 

You grabbed your shoes off your vanity and spotted the gold necklace your uncle had given you before departing for the  _ Finalizer.  _ Your chest did look bare without a necklace. You grabbed it and rushed to the door. Kylo was still turned around as you crept up next to him slightly brushing him while you slid your feet into the slippers. He turned to look at you. 

“We’re gonna be late.” All you could do was mutter a sorry as he opened the blast doors to the hallway you began to walk but grew conscious of the necklace swinging from your hand. 

“Wait.” You began to fumble with it trying to get the clasp open nearly dropping your datapad in the process. 

Kylo growled as he snatched the necklace from you, flipping you so that your back connected with his chest as he placed it around your neck, securing it he pushed you forward into the hallway allowing for the blast doors to close behind him. He whipped past you leading the way down the hallway. You had to run to catch up with him as his long strides had already taken him so far. 

“Slow down.” you breathed as you caught up next to him. 

“Should’ve thought of that when you wasted more time with a necklace.” 

“Well I needed it.” The both of you rounded a corner to a set of elevators. Kylo punched in a number. 

“You don’t need a necklace.” 

You looked up at him as he stared at the closed elevator doors. “Well one of us has to look nice at the meeting, I didn’t expect to have any company with me to upstage anyway.” 

The doors opened and you stepped in first and him second. “The Supreme Leader wants me to attend.” 

“Oh.” You’ve heard of the Supreme Leader a few times now and have never actually been told who he is. “Who is the Supreme Leader?” 

Kylo looked down at you cocking his head to the side. “None of your concern.” 

The rest of the elevator was spent in silence and when it arrived at the floor, you followed Kylo out and down a hall. Struggling to keep up with him you had to take absurdly long steps to keep in pace. Fearing if you lagged behind he would just leave you, and you did not know where this meeting room was. 

Finally he paused at a door and motioned you inside first. You walked into a dimly lit room, with a table made of rock in the middle and a hologram of the First Order insignia floating above it. Surrounding the table were chairs cluttered haphazardly. You heard the blast doors close as Kylo brushed past you to sit at the table. He began typing away at a touch pad on the table. The First Order insignia faded to show a timer for two minutes till the call. 

You sat in the chair next to Kylo careful to keep your distance. Pulling up the notes you had on the moon Moaxian on your datapad you reminded yourself of key points. They were an undeveloped moon with the only technology from the age of the Empire to have holograms and landing platforms to receive spacecraft but never to send spacecraft, and were very suspicious of outsiders. The government was just a mixture of clans warring for dominance. Currently the clan Mwazi was in control of the majority of the planet, with its leader a man named Gao ruling. He was known for expanding the clans territories in the past 30 years, earning himself the nickname as the Great Gao. That's who you were to speak to. You decided to skip rereading the rest of the notes when you realized your companion was probably going to need some info. 

“Commander, would you like to look over my notes.” You held your datapad out to him. 

He looked at you for a moment before taking the datapad. You could see the reflection of the text in his mask as he glanced. “I’m assuming you’ve never met this Gao?” 

“I’ve never spoken to anyone on this moon.” Kylo's mask looked up at you, cocking his head. 

“You mean to say they don’t know who you are?” You nodded. “Then how will they know that you are the _ Lady Aelia _ ? _ ”  _

He had a point. “I’m not sure but if they are taking this call-” 

“You're not sure!” Even through the mask you could tell his voice was rising. 

Glancing at the hologram to see you had thirty seconds until the call would start. “Quiet it’ll start any minute.” You took the datapad from his hands. 

“What's the point of you being here if they won’t know who you are.” He was starting to remind you of someone. 

“If it wasn’t for me this meeting wouldn’t be happening without me.” 

“I could handle this all by myself, you're unnecessary.” He started to claw at the datapad in your hands but you pulled it closer. 

“With your manners you can’t do anything right.” Before he could say anything else the hologram bursted into life. 

An old middle aged man appeared on screen. He had a shiny orange tunic with a necklace that had a silver circle attached to it. His thin grey hair was slicked back, and he had wrinkles around his blue eyes and that crinkled as he smiled. Behind him stood two identical guards wearing yellow hoods that covered their eyes and tunics, holding large gold staffs. 

You sat back and flexed a friendly smile. “Ah Lord Gao.” You bowed your head slightly. “I appreciate your time meeting with us.” 

He gave you a toothy grin. “Anything for a member of House Aelia.” 

“I must first say how impressive your conquests have been, you must be celebrated by your people.” 

“Indeed I am in fact having a feast to commemorate the day Clan Mwazi became what it is today tomorrow evening.” Perfect. 

“I would be honored if I could attend the festivities on the behalf of House Aelia and the First Order, we are very proud of our alliance with Moaxian and wish to celebrate its newfound rulers.” 

Gao looked at you for a moment. “If I may ask you, who is your brooding companion next to you.” 

You looked to your side before turning forward. “This is the Commander of the First Order, Kylo Ren.” 

Kylo made no motion that he heard you or acknowledged the man in the hologram. “Does your companion speak?” Gao chuckled. 

You smiled. “I’m afraid not. But I’m sure you want this conversation to be brief-”

“My lady if you are a lady, I’m afraid I truthfully do not know who you are. I took the call as a courtesy to Aelia but if I am to invite you and your companion to a feast I can’t be unsure of your identity.” 

Kylo shifted next to you. He was right they didn’t know who you were and your role in all of this was beginning to be unnecessary. “I promise you I am who I say I am. I am the Lady Aelia of Helinion and mean promise no harm but merely want a chance to celebrate our allies' accomplishments.” You smiled weakly. 

“The last time I spoke to anyone from Aelia was over twenty years ago, I really have no idea who you are. And Mwazi will not court unknown guests who we do not know. Thank you for your time my Lady but I’m afraid I must-” 

You sprung from your seat. “Wait. I have something.” Shaky hands grappled at your necklace as you held it out in front of you. “It was my fathers and his fathers before him. Only Aelian blood can carry it.” 

Gao leaned forward in his seat with his brows furrowed, eying the piece of metal dangling. “Ah I recognize that.” He leaned back and placed his hands on his lap. “Who is your father?”

“Adranus Aelia my lord.” 

He smiled. “I remember him coming here when he was young with his brother. Gods his brother was ferocious. What's his name?” 

You relaxed your shoulders and sat back down. “Marcellus. He's king now.” 

His eyes lit up. “King? I had no idea about the late King when did he pass?”

“A long time ago, he died when I was still very young.” 

Gao chuckled. “I had no idea Adra had a daughter. He must’ve married someone far prettier then himself, you look nothing like him.” 

You gave a weak smile. “Thank you my lord I’m pleased to know that you’ve met my father.” 

“Anyone of Adra is welcome and there companions.” he said motioning to Kylo at your side who hasn’t said a word. “I’m sorry for earlier but the protection of Mwazi comes before any alliance.” 

“Nonsense it was justified. I wouldn’t expect you to place anything above the wellbeing of your people.” 

Gao stood from his chair. “I will see you tomorrow Lady Aelia daughter of Adranus. Farewell.” The hologram cut out allowing you to collapse into your seat and inhale deeply. That could’ve gone much worse. But it didn’t and that was okay for now. 

Kylo stood and tapped on the table datapad closing the hologram fully. “I’ll let the General and my knights know to begin preparations for tomorrow.” He began to walk out but you sprang from your seat. 

“The knights can’t come.” Kylo stopped. 

“My knights are coming, that's indisputable.” He continued to walk but you ran next to him. 

“You can’t bring them there threatening it’ll ruin everything.” 

He continued to walk out into the hall and once again you were chasing after him. “You seem to know a lot for someone who is unfamiliar with their leader and nearly ruined the whole operation.” 

You continued to follow him. “And you have a lot to say for someone who was noticeably silent.” Kylo once again stopped but turned around to look at you. 

“You have a lot to learn about the First Order.” He was leaning down over you making you feel tiny.

“I’ve learned how important those trees are and if you want that stupid sap don’t bring those knights, there to threatening for comfort.” You crossed your arms. 

Kylo took a step closer. “Aren’t I too threatening for comfort?” 

As much as you wanted to shrink away and accept defeat, you stood not moving. Those knights were too creepy looking and Lord Gao would throw you out in a heartbeat with them by your side. “Just don’t bring the knights, please trust me.” 

After a long moment Kylo nodded and walked away leaving you standing in the hallway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey yall remember when I said I would post on Sundays that was funny because I didn't do that for two weeks but I'm back now and posting this a day early.


End file.
